For UMass Basketball, the long, early season trip is worth it

By Zachary Baru

It may be early season basketball, a non-conference game hosted at a neutral-site, but for UMass, the trip to Sunrise was worth it.  

Photo: Aaron Baru

The voyage to the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic not only gave UMass fans down in Florida a chance to see their favorite team, but also a spot on national television.  It may not be ABC or ESPN, but for a school trying to prove itself and their impressive 7-3 record, today's trip to South Florida has given UMass a spot on the ACC Network, one of many channels that can be found on the updated ESPN App. 

With the move to a new conference, the Mid-American Conference, and the absence of national contention for some time, UMass has a lot to prove.  The team has shot off to an early 8-3 start, and today's appearance in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic gives the team a chance to be shown on TV outside of the New England region.  

The ACC Network is part of the ESPN family of networks, and today's game can be viewed on linear TV or on the ESPN App.  This is important for a UMass team that wants to show the country what it is capable of, and it certainly is doing that here in Sunrise this afternoon.  UMass began the double-header topping Florida St. 103-95. 

Looking around the venue, plenty of UMass fans can be seen enjoying their team, and showing the other South Florida fans just what the UMass program has to offer this season.  The feeling in the venue is that of a bigger-event, with fans from each of the four schools very prevalent.  The crowd has been locked in, more so than most early afternoon starts.  

For UMass, getting back to the national stage will not be easy, but out-of-state early season events such as this is a step in the right direction.